Bjorn gains three shot win

Thomas Bjorn’s recent run of good form culminated in his first victory of the season with a competent win in the BMW International Open at Nord-Eichenried in Munich.

The 30-year-old Dane fired his fourth sub-70 score of the week, holding off the challenge of home favourite Bernhard Langer, who finished with a 67, and joint overnight leader Carl Suneson to win by three shots.

Bjorn, who opened with a 69,moved into contention after a sparkling 63 in the second round. Over the weekend he never looked like self-destructing and, after a second 69 on Saturday, he finished with a 67 for a 268 total.

This year Bjorn has established himself as a world class player with some impressive performances in the majors. A joint second finish in The Open and third in the US PGA have helped him move into the world top 20.

Langer, who had to settle for his third second spot in this tournament, was thrilling the home fans during the early stages. The 37-year-old German, without a win for three years, continued the great form of Saturday when he produced a sparkling six-under-par 66.

After four opening pars, the winner of 37 tour events produced a second consecutive birdie at the 5th and then a wonderful eagle at the next after an excellent five-wood approach left him six-feet away.

Thomas Bjorn shows off his BMW International trophy. Allsport.

He reached 16-under after another birdie at the ninth to go out in 32 - two shots adrift of Bjorn. Langer went five-under for the day after another birdie at the 11th but needed to change his conservative tactics when Bjorn stretched his lead to three shots with holes running out.

The joint overnight leader also started steadily with four pars but back-to-back birdies from the 5th gave him the lead on his own. Another followed at the par-five ninth.

It seemed for a while that Bjorn, a member of the victorious 1997 Ryder Cup team, might be caught as the birdies began to dry up.

But right on cue, with Langer and Suneson struggling to eat into his lead, he claimed back-to-back birdies at the 13th and 14th after holing two monster putts.

The BMW International title is the only German based tournament Langer hasn’t won and, after making a bogey at the 319yard par-four 16th, he will have to wait until next year to put that right. A birdie at the last ensured Langer had produced four rounds under 70 for the second time without winning this year.

Suneson eventually finsihed in third spot on his own as a bogey at the last ensured he closed with a 71.

Despite a minor hiccup at the 16th where Bjorn dropped only his fourth shot of the week, he continued his hot streak of putting by rolling in from some distance for birdie at the 17th allowing him to coast victory.

Essex’s Daren Lee responded to the pressure of playing in the final group very well but winning as much prize money rather than the title concerned him more as he fights to keep his tour card.

One solitary birdie at the par-3 eighth was cancelled out by a bogey at the 10th before disaster struck at the 16th where he scrambled to an untidy double-bogey six.

South African Ernie Els left his charge too late as he compiled the best round of the day – a six-under-par 66 – after coming back in 31.

After a bogey at the 10th, he birdied the 11th, 12th and the last four holes but will rue his first two rounds of 70 and 71. However, because of his weekend effort, he managed another top 10 European finish this season.

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